Student Services - Office of the University Registrar

Registration Instructions

from the University Registrar

Course registration each quarter occurs as a step-by-step process, beginning part way through one quarter, includes your tuition and fee payment, and ends with your first class attendance for the next quarter. O.S.U. students register for classes using the Web.

Step-By-Step Approach

Step	What Should I Do?	When Should I Do It?
Receive Your Registration E-mail View "Master Schedule"	Start planning. Contact your advisor or college office with problems or if you haven't received your e-mail registration notice.	You should receive your e-mail during the second week of the quarter. The Master Schedule is on the Web the first week of the quarter.
Pre-schedule with your advisor	Meet with your Advisor to review and approve next quarterís planned courses, including any appropriate alternate courses, just in case your first choice is not available.	Before your window opens each quarter.
Organize your Course Selections	Using the e-mail, master schedule, and agreed upon courses from your advisor prescheduling meeting, prepare your course selections for the following quarter. Have alternative choices ready. Check for holds.	Prior to your registration window opening, please obtain any required course permissions prior to your initial registration contact. Clear holds at least 2 days prior to your window opening.
Log on to the web	If you received an assigned registration window, you may use the web. http://buckeyelink.osu.edu/course_planning.html# "Click" on "Web Registration for Course" to schedule classes.	As early as possible, during your registration window. The longer you delay, the more likely course spaces will be filled. See "Registration instructions".
Receive an E-mail asking you to review your schedule	Review it carefully for completeness and accuracy. Make changes via the web or contact your advisor or college office with any problems.	You will know your schedule after your registration contact. An e-mail will be sent to you the 10th week of the quarter.
View "Statement of Account" on the Treasurer's web site. Pay Fees	Submit fee payment owed with student ID number (SSN). Access the web at www.treasurer.ohio-state.edu, for account balance information and more.	Payment should be made by the fee payment deadline (postmark should be no later than the deadline) to avoid late penalties. See "Registration & Fees and Important Dates" for more information.

New to O.S.U?

If you are new to O.S.U, your registration will likely occur during orientation. New Graduate students should contact their Graduate Program before attempting to register. International Students must contact the Office of International Education, 100 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Avenue, before registering for their first quarter of enrollment. They must also enroll in The Ohio State University Student Health Insurance Program each term.

Your Registration E-mail

Your Registration information is e-mailed. Once received, check your e-mail for discrepancies. Pay particular attention to the following:

Special Message
box- Important registration information may be found here.

Hold
box - Holds on your account must be cleared before you make your registration contact or you will not be allowed to register. See "Hold Information" for details about how to clear a hold. If you neglect to clear a hold, the University will withhold your grades at the end of a quarter, and you will not receive a diploma.

Registration Windows
- Your registration window is the time during which you are able to begin selecting courses through the web. Register as close to the beginning of your window as possible for the best selection. Carryover waitlist requests from a previous quarter will have a separate window assigned.

Course Permissions

If a course requires special permission, the web will let you know. You must have the permission posted by your college office or the department offering the course prior to registration or the web will not allow you to schedule the course. You may determine if you have been granted course permission on the web.

Check Your Approved Schedule

Before attending classes, check each course on your "Approved Schedule" with the courses listed on the Web to verify that class meeting times and places are correct.

Wait-Listing

Wait-Listing is a special service provided in the registration system that enables students to efficiently register for courses which are not immediately available due to full or closed/canceled sections. When put on a Wait-List you will be advised of your position and will be processed off on a first- on, first- off basis whenever a space becomes available. For more information on Wait-Listing see below..

Paying Fees

Instructions for paying fees may be found on the Treasurer's website. Pay your fees by mail or on-line to avoid the risk of waiting in long lines. You can pay your fees by cash, check, or money order in person at the Office of Fees, Deposits and Disbursements in room 220 Lincoln Tower. You cannot pay your fees by credit card. To avoid a late penalty or refusal of registration, you must pay your fees by the deadline date (normally the first official day of classes for the quarter). If you mail your fees, your envelope must be postmarked on or before the deadline date to avoid late fee payment penalties. (Do not use campus mail or metered mail when making your fee payment). NOTE: Paper bills are no longer produced, therefore it is the student's responsibility to download their Statement of Account from the Treasurer's website. Failure to do so does not nullify a student's responsibility to pay fees by the deadline date.

Late Registration Process

Late registration, while necessary at times, can result in difficulty in receiving your choice of classes and in late fees being assessed. Continuing students (those enrolled the previous quarter, or Spring Quarter for Autumn Quarter registration), will be assessed a $100 late registration fee if not registered by the second official day of classes for the quarter. Fees increase to $500 if you have not registered by the second Friday of the quarter.

Registration Instructions

How to Register:

Review Your Registration e-mail.

Plan your courses by finding the appropriate six-digit call number for your course selections listed in the on-line Master Schedule. For questions about which courses to take, contact your academic advisor.

Planning several alternate selections in the event your first or second choices are filled may be helpful.

Visit the web at http://buckeyelink.osu.edu . Registration is available from 6:30am to 1:30am Monday through Friday, Saturday 6:30am to Midnight and Sunday from 11am to 1:30am. If you are unable to get through, continue trying periodically.

Using Web Registration:

Go to the BuckeyeLink homepage and click on the Course Planning Tab and then "Register for Courses". Enter your OSU Internet Username and Password and the quarter/year of registration.

Make your selections regarding Student Health Insurance . If dependent coverage selected, please contact Koster Insurance at 1-800-254-2461.

Make your selections regarding optional contributions to Scholarhips.

Two buttons will appear, "Update Fee Options" and "Adjust Schedule". Click on "Update Fee Options to change optional fees. To schedule, click on "Adjust Schedule".

To add "Free Time" click on "Add Free Time" and to add/change/drop a course. Click on "add" and type in the six-digit call number (without the hyphen) of your first course. Using the next drop-down window(s), continue this process until all courses are input. When you have made all your selections, click "Update/Refresh". Note: Variable hour courses always default to the lowest value unless you specify otherwise.

Click on "Final Report" to end session. To go back to "Update Fees" or "Adjust Schedule", click on the appropriate button.

Verify your addresses so university mailings will reach you in a timely manner. International students need to have a US address for "local" address. A hold will be placed if no local address is provided.

Your transaction will result in a Statement of Account being generated on-line and is available to download from the Treasurer's website. You are responsible for any late fees assessed. Print a copy of your "Statement of Account" to be safe!

Protect your personal information - close out your session, especially if using a public computing site.

Optional Fees:

You may add or waive the following fees when registering:

Student Health Insurance: All Columbus campus students enrolled at least half time are required to purchase Student Health Insurance, but may waive it on-line during course registration if comparable coverage exists. International students cannot waive health insurance. Once enrolled, students will be covered the remaining terms of the school year. More information is available at Student Health Insurance or by contacting Student Health Insurance staff at shi_info@osu.edu or (614) 688-7979. Distance Learning courses (denoted by a "D" suffix attached to the course number) do NOT count towards the minimum credit hours required.

Note: If you have already registered and now want to change your student health coverage, first click on "Update Fee Options." Once you have done this, choose "No Coverage" from the pull-down menu labeled, "Select Type of Insurance Coverage." After that, click on "Update Fee Options" a second time.

Annual Vehicle Registration: You must have a parking permit to park on campus. For more information, call Transportation and Parking Services at 614/292-9341.

Wait-Listing:

Getting on a Wait-list: You are placed on a wait-list if you are unable to schedule a course during your registration time because of full or closed/canceled sections. All prerequisites must be met to be wait-listed.

How Wait-listing works: Your position on a wait-list is based on the time of your contact. You are added into a course from the wait-list on a "first-on, first-off" basis as a space that fits your schedule becomes available . The wait-list is not section specific, so the system will add you into the first available section that fits your schedule.

Carryover Wait-list: Courses wait-listed from a prior quarter are assigned a separate registration window prior to your normal window time.

Notification: If you are scheduled into a course from the wait-list you may be notified by e-mail.

Your Responsibility: Check your status weekly before the quarter starts and daily during the first week of classes by visiting the website. You should attend class the first week if you are high on the wait-list since over half of all wait-list activity happens during the first week of classes. If you wish to remove yourself from the wait-list go to Check Wait-list.

Scheduling Priorities:

The priority system for university priority students, graduating students, rank, etc. will be built into the order of registration windows. Therefore, to retain your priority, be sure to register early during your window. Your total number of earned hours are also factored into your window assignment.

1st University Priority (Honors, disabled students,varsity athletes)

2nd Graduating students (with college approval)

3rd Wait-listed request for Graduate, Graduate/Professional,Rank 4's

4th Group Priority - Graduate, Graduate/Professional Rank 4's (includes Rank R)

5th Wait-listed request for Rank 3 students

6th Rank 3 students

7th Wait-listed request for Rank 2

8th Rank 2 students (includes CED 3 & 4) students

9th Wait-listed request for all Rank 1 students

10th Rank 1 students (includes C/S/T in a Prof or Dual GRD program) and all others

If you encounter problems while registering, you should check the following first. If you are still having difficulty, contact your advisor or call the Registrar's Office at 292-8500.

Registration Troubleshooting

Blocking out time when classes cannot be taken: "Free Time" allows you to block out specified times so no wait-listed courses will be scheduled. See "Free Time" section for call numbers.

Checking class times or locations: Visit the website through the first Friday of classes to obtain your schedule and updated times and locations.

Closed out of a course: If you were closed out of a course for the current quarter, you will receive priority scheduling for that course if you were wait-listed and if you contact the web to request this class during your wait-list window for the next quarter you enroll.

Dropping a course: On the Web, use the drop-down box to select "drop" on the line of the call number to drop. Click "Update/Refresh". Note: This may result in forfeiture fees if dropped after the first Friday of the quarter, see Important Dates.

Error in entry or unsure of place: By Web, view information.

Group 1/Group 2 courses: These courses use two independent sections to make a whole course and require two separate call numbers in the registration process (the second is usually a lab). After submitting the 1st call number, you will be prompted for the second.

Grading Options: Approval for auditing a course, Pass/Non-Pass, and other options require PERMISSION and must be entered into the system by your college office. Check with your advisor.

Holds: Holds appear on your Registration e-mail. Holds placed after sending of the Registration information e-mail will be noted when you visit the website. You will not be allowed to schedule any courses if you have a hold on your records. All posted holds must be cleared by the opening of your window in order for you to retain your scheduling priority. See the holds section about clearing holds.

Permission for courses: You must have permission posted before attempting to schedule a course requiring permission or you will not be allowed to schedule the course. Permission slips should be taken to your college office for posting prior to the opening of your registration window. You may check the Web to determine if you have been granted course permission.

Prerequisites: It is your responsibility to make sure you are eligible to take any course you schedule, regardless of whether the system checks for prerequisites. Refer to the on-line Course Offerings Bulletin for prerequisite information.

Section change within the same course: On the Web, select "change" from the drop-down box, enter the call number of the new section and click "Update". If the new section is open, you will be scheduled and your original section will be dropped. If the new section is not open, you will not be dropped from your old section.

Variable Course Credit: If the course you scheduled has variable credit hours, you will be prompted to enter the number of credit hours desired. (If you do not enter any credit hours, the system will default to the lowest amount.)

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